Over 1 Million Migrants Reach Europe by Sea in 2015

Local Editor

The United Nations Refugee Agency [UNHCR] said that more than one million refugees and migrants reached Europe by sea since the start of 2015.

The agency's report added that more than 80% of the 1,000,573 people arrived in Greece, with the majority landing on Lesbos Island.

About 844,000 travelled to Greece from nearby Turkey. However, most of the others, who hit 150,000, crossed the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy.

The migrant crisis is considered the worst in Europe since the times of the World War Two.

Besides, the number of sea arrivals increased vastly since 2014, when it was recorded at slightly more than 216,000.

The agency posted on its website that the: "Increasing numbers of refugees and migrants take their chances aboard unseaworthy boats and dinghies in a desperate bid to reach Europe."

"The vast majority of those attempting this dangerous crossing are in need of international protection, fleeing war, violence and persecution in their country of origin," UNHCR added.

The report further explained that about 49% of those crossing the Mediterranean Sea are from Syria, with 21% coming from Afghanistan. However, the number of those dead or missing at sea is now 3,735.

Relatively, the International Organization for Migration [IOM] said on December 21st that the total number of migrants arriving by both land and sea reached more than 1,006,000.

Meanwhile, many migrants are still making the journey to Europe despite winter weather.

Eventually, the influx caused tension within the EU, with some states putting up fences and re-imposing frontier controls.

In the context, Germany said it received more than a million refugees and migrants, the largest number of any European country, but this included a large number from the Balkan states who are not counted in the sea arrivals.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team